Missouri State Archives & Charter Media team up
Moments in Missouri Political History Video Segments

Segment

In the fall of 1869, St. Louis was the sight of a special three day convention to discuss the movement of the federal government to a more central location. Many Americans were in agreement that Washington D.C. was an impractical location for a capital city—once the nation had already grown from a group of Atlantic colonies to stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean. A Missouri congressman named C.A. Newcomb, introduced a resolution to move the capital to St. Louis. But only three states sent delegates to the convention and in the end, these competing interests ensured the capital would remain in the District of Columbia.